AI Prompt to Write a Cursor Rules File (.cursorrules)
Most people ask AI to “make cursor follow my coding style”—and wonder why the output is mediocre. Here's how to write a prompt that actually gets you what you want on the first try.
Last updated · By the Prompt Orange team
“make cursor follow my coding style”
Too vague—AI has to guess what you want
“Write a .cursorrules file for my project. Stack: Next.js 16 App Router, React 19, Tailwind, TypeScript. Conventions to enforce: server components by default, no new dependencies without asking, colocate tests, British English in copy. Also include: never edit files in /generated, always run the test suite after changes, and ask before touching auth or payments. Keep it under 30 lines and phrase each rule as a short imperative.”
Specific, clear, ready to use
What makes the strong prompt better?
Names the exact stack so the rules match your real project, not a generic one
Turns vague 'follow my style' into concrete, enforceable conventions
Adds safety rails for auth, payments, and generated files the AI shouldn't touch